Gas engine safety attachment



Aug. 20, 1940. FLANDERS 2,211,971

GAS ENGINE SAFETY ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 28, 1939 3 SheetsSheet l ATTORNEYS.

20, 1940- E. L... FLANDERS 2,211,971

GAS ENGINE SAFETY ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 28, 1939 5 Sheets-sheet 2 .Z'.Z.Flanders INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 20, 1940. E- L. FLANDERS 221L971 GAS ENGINE SAFETY ATTACHMENT FiledFeb. 28, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. 1 a. l

A TTORN E YS.

Patented Aug. 2 0, 1940 PATENT OFFICE GAS ENGINE SAFETY ATTACHMENT ErvinL. Flanders, Oklahoma City. Okla., assignor of one-half to Fred G.Ellis, Oklahoma City,

Okla.

Application February 28, 1939, Serial No. 259,017

1 Claim.

This invention aims to provide novel means bustion engine breaks, orwhen the cooling fan becomes inoperative by any-other reason, the enginewill be stopped, thereby avoiding overheating. The invention aims,further, to supply novel means whereby when the oil pressure fails, theengine will be stopped, novel means being supplied for combining the twoinstrumentalities in a single structure.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, an internal combustion engine equippedwith the device forming the subject matter of this application;

Fig. 2 is a top plan on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation wherein parts are broken away, Fig. 4supplementing Fig. 3 in showing the device in running position; Fig. 4being, more accurately stated, a section on the line '4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing the deviceas it will appear before starting the internal combustion;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but illustrating the parts as theywill appear in case the cooling fan fails to operate, and in case theoil pressure fails.

The numeral I marks an internal combustion engine, having a reservoir 2for lubricating oil, an oil connection 3, and a magneto 26 forming partof the ignition system for the engine. The cooling fan is shown at 4.

A laterally projecting support or plate 5 is secured to the top of theengine I. The numeral 6 marks an air funnel, located in the wake of thefan 4, and having a reduced, flat-sided neck secured to the support 5.There is an opening 8 in the top of the neck 1 of the funnel or air 7'receiver 6, the rear end of the neck I of the funnel 6 being closed by adetachable stop plate 9 having spring fingers II] which engage the flatsides of the neck I.

In the neck 1 of the funnel 6, a horizontal shaft His mounted to rock,the shaft being provided at its outer end with a forwardly presentedcrank arm I2, whereon a weight I4 is secured at l5 for adjustmentlengthwise of the arm. The arm I2 is provided with a seat l6. Anupwardly extended vane i1 is secured to the shaft l I, within the neck 1of the air receiver 6.

A clip I 8 holds a horizontal guide and cylinder 19 on the bottom of theplate-like support 5. In the forward end of the guide and cylinder i9 isthreaded a sleeve 20, wherein is mounted an insulated terminal 2! havinga head 22 adapted to engage the inner end of the sleeve, a nut '23 beingthreaded on the forward end of the terminal 2|, and washers 24' beinginterposed between the nut and the forward end of the sleeve.

A grounding conductor 25 is connected to the terminal 2| and to themagneto 26. A bailshaped latch 21 is pivoted for vertical movement onthe sleeve 20.

When the engine I is to be started, the parts assume the positions shownin Fig. '7. The latch 21 is swung up and engaged in the seat I 6 of thearm l2 on the shaft H, the vane I! being out of contact with the stopplate 9. When the fan 4 creates a blast of air through the air receiver6, the vane 1 swings into abutment with the stop plate 9, the crank armI2 is raised, the seat I6 is disengaged from the latch 21, and the latchswings downwardly. The parts are held in the positions stated, by theair pressure from the fan 4, against the vane H, the vane standing inthe position of Fig. 3. The air is deflected, by the vane II, upwardlyand out of the opening 8 in the top of the funnel neck 1.

When fan pressure on the vane I 1 ceases, the weight M swings the arm l2downwardly until it makes contact with the nut 23, as in Fig. 8. Thenthe magneto 26 is grounded through the conductor 25, the ignition is putout of commission, and the engine I stops.

In the back end of the cylinder and guide '9 is threaded a bearing 28.in which reciprocates the stem 29 of a slide 30, mounted to recipro catein the guide l9, and provided with a forwardly presented contact 3|. Acompression s ring 32 is interposed between the slide 3!), and thebearing 28. A feed conduit 33 extends between the oil connection 3 andthe tubular guide reservoir 2.

'l9, and communicates with the guide, between the slide 3|] and theterminal 21. If the oil pressure fails, the oil in the cylinder or guidel9 runs back through the conduit 33, the contact 3| on the slide 3!)comes into engagement with the terminal 2|, the magneto 26 is grounded,and the engine I stops. The spring 32 constitutes means for advancingthe slide 30. Any oil that happens to leak past the slide 30 is carriedby the return conduit 34, back to the oil The piston slide 30 is heldreleasably retracted by a latch 50, pivotally mounted on the bearing 28,and operating like the latch 21.

The device is so constructed that it will stop an internal combustionengine if the cooling fan ceases to operate, and, also, will stop theengine if the oil pressure fails. Both of these mechanisms are combinedin a simple unitary structure, and the terminal 2! has a doublefunction, in that it plays a part in the operation of either of themechanisms referred to.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a device for stopping an internal combustion engine in the event offan failure, an air receiver having a transverse outlet, and providedwith a stop, means for supporting the receiver in the path of fan blast,a terminal electrically connected to the ignition system of the engine,a shaft mounted to rock on the receiver and having a crank arm, amovably mounted latch engaging the arm releasably to hold it out ofengagement with the terminal before fan blast begins, a vane in the airreceiver and mounted on the shaft, the vane responding to fan blast todisengage the arm from the latch and to move the vane into engagementwith the stop, whereby the vane will constitute an inclined deflector,leading to the outlet, the vane responding to failure of fan blast, topermit the arm to engage the terminal and ground the ignition mechanismof the engine.

ERVIN L. FLANDERS.

